The schedule includes a number of weeknight giveaways for the first time in what seems like a long time.
The Orioles announced that single game ticket sales will open up to the public next week. With that announcement, they also revealed the schedule for giveaway items and promotional events. The 2025 assortment of giveaways includes some new spins on familiar items as well as some that will be making their debuts for this year.
One interesting development to me is that the ever-popular Birdland Hawaiian Shirt will have its giveaway spread across two dates for 2025: July 8 vs. the Mets and July 12 vs. the Marlins. That’s a Tuesday and a Saturday. It’s a great design for this year, mixing it up by having the base color of the shirt be white with a variety of Orioles and tropical designs filling it up. I’ve got three different Orioles Hawaiian shirts already, which is an embarrassing admission on its own, but I might need to add this one to the mix and bump out my least favorite one.
The weeknight giveaway is interesting and part of a trend for this season as the Orioles do actually have some giveaways for weeknights. It’s a shame that they expanded this while keeping quantities limited (15,000 fans on the Tuesday, 20,000 on the Saturday) for such an in-demand item. They should make enough for all fans at each of these games. Most of this year’s giveaways go to the first 15,000. Some go to 20. It’s not enough!
In May, there will be two different Star Wars-themed bobblehead giveaways over the course of one weekend. Noted Star Wars Lego-building dorks Colton Cowser and Gunnar Henderson each have bobbles where they are in Jedi robes and holding lightsabers. Cowser’s will go to the first 20,000 on a Friday night game (May 2) against the Royals, while Henderson’s will be given away to the first 20,000 that Sunday (May 4, the unofficial Star Wars Day).
Other player bobbleheads lined up for the season’s giveaways: Grayson Rodriguez (May 31), Jordan Westburg (July 28), and Adley Rutschman (September 24). The Rutschman bobblehead has the catcher in golf apparel. Rodriguez’s bobblehead is an interesting one because the promo image has him wearing orange pants, sparking some speculation that the team has some retro full orange jersey cards up its sleeve for 2025.
One more bobblehead is set to be given away this year, with owner David Rubenstein’s penchant for tossing hats to whole section of fans being paid tribute in an April 19 giveaway. If I had billions of dollars and owned a baseball team, I’d make a bobblehead of myself too.
The month of May features another neat Baltimore-connected giveaway, with an Orioles-themed bowling shirt set for May 30. Just look at this thing:
That has the potential to be amazing, although it’s tough to fully judge it from the concept art version of the image rather than actually getting to see the finished product here. A number of the giveaways on the schedule are in this same rough stage at present, perhaps none more obviously than the August 22 cowboy hat that’s just an Orioles logo Photoshopped onto a not-particularly-good cowboy hat rendering.
For all of those fans who remain excited by the idea of a costumed alterego hosing people down with water in celebration according to his whims, there is one more announcement today. The Bird Bath splash zone section is expanding from section 86 into the adjacent section 84 as well. The open space created by the fences being moved closer to the field again will have a platform for Mr. Splash to run back and forth as he patrols an expanded area.
I think this is a fad past its expiration date. The players would probably come up with a different celebratory gimmick on their own rather than hauling out the water stuff for a third go-round. On the other hand, as my wife often jokes, I hate fun. Large numbers of people love things that I find cringe. The team will keep doing this thing as long as they think it makes them money.
Check out the full schedule of giveaways for yourself, also including a Jim Palmer replica jersey, a hockey jersey, and a variety of hats. Which dates are you circling on the calendar? Let us know in the comments below.